Yes, there is Neep

[dancinghorse]

I tried to update yesterday but lj was being funky.  Then I had, like, revisions to do.  To them as wished me luck--many thanks.  I need it.

Further comment from past Comments: raithen , when we say Pook is pacing, we don't mean a gaited-horse pace.  He has a two-beat diagonal trot and a three-beat canter and no "gaits" as such--he's been bred rather fantatically to weed out gaitedness.  "Pacey" in dressage means a lateral walk--a walk that loses its four-beat rhythm and goes sort of off-the-wall two-beat.  It happens when you have a short-coupled horse with big movement behind and not enough collection to get his front end up and out of the way when the back feet come through.  The horse ends up with a lateral walk.  It happens a lot with big-moving Warmbloods who aren't trained properly--their walk at the upper levels is a mess.  Joni is bound and determined that this will not happen to Pooka.  So, in these early stages we keep his walk throttled down a bit so he doesn't get lateral and ruin the gait for the rest of his career.

It's a case of his being too talented rather than not talented enough.  His upper-level walk should be very fine--and at liberty it's gorgeous.  This little horse with the short legs has over a foot of overstep and a very free, elastic, flowing way of going.  Under a rider he has to make accommodations.

His trot, luckily, is just fine.  And his canter--like the walk, a difficult gait to fix if it isn't there to begin with--is really lovely.  When he offers it under saddle (he's not ready to be asked for it yet), I just want it to go on and on.  It's like riding a very big, smooth swell.

In further notage, more info is in re. the SRS tour--the Lipizzan association meetings are in Columbus  Nov. 5th and 6th.  So, no World Fantasy for me, I shall be in Columbus.  Holy pilgrimage, you know.  I'd also like to try to go to Houston in December as my regional association wants to have a gathering there.

Anyway.  I did promise neep.

The week has been caught up with books and horses--a very nice combination in my mind.  Capria and keed have new shoes, which they needed.  Pook continues to cultivate reality.  I blew my mind Thursday schooling him in trot figures and transitions--he was endlessly patient, put up with my screwups, and rewarded me when I did it right.  Capria does that.  The Lipizzan as schoolmaster.  My little baby.  Sniffle.

That was also the day Camilla remembered her longe lesson and did some very nice circles.  After which, she glared all the while I rode Pooka.

Yesterday was lesson day.  Keed started with Joni as usual.  I used the time to bring out Camilla, who was eager to come, and do some groundwork (she was very forward), then she wanted me to get on.  I got on.  She was nice and solid, though she wanted to turn into a pretzel and see if I had treats.  I finally persuaded her to straighten out (Lipps can  wrap themselves around you while you sit on them--they're rubber ponies).  She thought about backing up.  She changed her mind.  She took three whole, willing,  balanced steps forward.

Breakthrough!

I know, three steps.  Big whoop.  But for Camilla, because it was entirely her idea and all I did was sit there, it was huge.  Voluntary forward from a determinedly not-forward horse.  This is what we've been waiting for.

We're not quite ready to boogie yet, but we're on our way.  :)

In between  lessons, Joni showed us the Pookievid she made.  Very nice!  It's on a camcorder tape, bless her, so I can make copies off the camera.  (sfmarty , we are working on the DVD angle).

And then I had my lesson on  Capria.  She wanted a turn and I had some practice to do in outside aids, and figuring out why Pooka was boinging into a left bend in the trot-walk transition going right.  Joni spelled out the mechanics: his right hind doesn't come up and under,  so he falls on his right shoulder and his body kinks left.  He needs be in shoulder-fore with clear outside aids (especially rein--he's avoiding it big time) and soft inside rein (he's grabbing it in an effort to balance, but when I grab back, it blocks the right hind from coming up, which is the one thing we want to happen).  With Capria it was easy because she's an older, schooled horse.  My job will be to to reproduce the feel with Pook.  She can do more exercises, also--if she's off balance, I can ride a 10m circle to get the shoulder-fore position.  Pook can't quite handle that yet.  But he will.  He can manage shoulder-fore, so that's a big start.  What I'm supposed to try to do is get his front and back inside feet in the same track, and if I have to, let him fall a bit on the inside shoulder for now, as he'll have to use the inside hind in that case to keep from falling down.   Capria was showing me what should happen then. 

Or, why a schoolmaster is a godsend for helping to train a young horse.  Joni made me remember the feel of the outside and inside reins and the positioning of Capria's body, told me to equalize them on both the left (her easier side) and the right, and work on that with both horses.

I realized I've got back into big-trot land in a big way--Capria's trot felt so teeny.  She has nice, flowy gaits with a long stride, but she doesn't have the back strength or the natural impulsion Pooka does.  Nor does she have his scope or suspension.  I kept waiting for her trot to wake up.  At its best it was nice, but it was still only a third the amplitude that Pook gives when he's lazy, off balance, and boinging into left bend.

Mind you most people find Capria's gaits plenty big, with lots of thrust from behind--but she's flat compared to Pooka.  Me, I'm a big-gaits junkie.  I love 'em.  Boingity!

Today is revise book and watch the rain squalls roll through day.  I'm in the bunker (except for necessary errands) until this book is revised, dammit.

ETANote to self: Tendency with hands to keep the right rein near the neck and steady, and left rein a little open and soft--ideal for left bend. In right bend, the hands stay in the same spot, creating unwanted left bend. Must move hands over. Even if it feels weird. Which it will.

Comments

[raithen.livejournal.com]

Ok. My bad. Thanks for clarifying what you meant by pacey -- that makes way more sense (that's the problem with being in the gaited world -- riding and terminology are ALMOST but not QUITE the same....). And now I understand other comments I've heard over the years MUCH better.

I am very intrigued by your comments about the value of having a schoolmaster around when you are training a young horse. ONe of my biggest reasons for considering parting with my beloved Joey is that *I* have tonnes to learn yet, and Joey needs to learn it all, too. ANd feeling it on a trained horse would make a world of difference. And I want to be able to train JJ effectively, so I need to learn.

Hrrm. Much to think about. Why can't I just be really wealthy and keep them all, and buy more?

And good luck with the revisions! Not that luck is needed -- you know what you are doing, and are very good at it :D.

[plutosonium.livejournal.com]

You don't have to have your own schoolmaster, you just need to have access to one. :) I was fortunate to have my trainer's done-it-all horse to ride last year while The Stinker was still figuring out how to walk in a straight line, forward. It helped very much to be able to hop on her and go "Oh, RIGHT, that's how that's supposed to work. " :) If you can afford the occasional lesson on somebody's schoolmaster, you can take the feeling back home with you to impart to Joey, I'd think.

Wish I still had that mare here,now. I'm looking for new trainers to ride with, hopefully with schoolmasters. Seeing as how my trainer moved two states away. (Talk about rejection..)

[raithen.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, I know. Sadly, finding access to a good schoolmaster TWH in my area is nigh on impossible....

[plutosonium.livejournal.com]

I guess a schoolmaster TWH is a wee bit more specialized than your generic dressage schoolmaster. :)

Of course, it's mighty frustrating to get on ye olde schoolmaster and have it just *work* when you do approximately what you're supposed to, and then get on the youngster and everything's tied up in knots and you feel like you forgot how to think, let alone move. The first time The Stinker did something that felt like a regular horse with a normal brain was doing it, I was torn between cheering and crying. At last! Then he stopped. I'm not good enough yet to keep him normal. :)

ok, I am gonna ask

[raithen.livejournal.com]

I am housesitting and don't have my books handy -- remind me what shoulder-fore is?

:).

[sfmarty.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Judy. In the meanwhile, I still have a working VHS machine. (and tell me how much!)

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

From you I take no money.

I think, next contract, my Mad Money will go toward a VHS-to-DVD recorder.